U.S. patent number 9,871,335 [Application Number 14/499,406] was granted by the patent office on 2018-01-16 for termination system with communication device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION. The grantee listed for this patent is Tyco Electronics Corporation. Invention is credited to Gary Lee Deck.
United States Patent |
9,871,335 |
Deck |
January 16, 2018 |
Termination system with communication device
Abstract
A termination system includes an applicator and a communication
device mounted to the applicator. The application has a ram that is
movable towards and away from a stationary anvil along a crimp
stroke. The anvil receives a terminal thereon. The ram is coupled
to crimp tooling that is configured to apply the terminal to a wire
along the crimp stroke. The communication device includes a storage
system, a wireless communication system, and a microcontroller. The
storage system stores data relating to the applicator. The wireless
communication system wirelessly communicates the data relating to
the applicator with an external device accessed by an operator. The
microcontroller controls at least one of storage of or access to
the data relating to the applicator in the storage system. The
microcontroller also controls wireless communication of the data
relating to the applicator with the external device via the
wireless communication system.
Inventors: |
Deck; Gary Lee (Bethel,
PA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Tyco Electronics Corporation |
Berwyn |
PA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
(Berwyn, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
54477822 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/499,406 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2014 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160094000 A1 |
Mar 31, 2016 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W
4/80 (20180201); H02J 7/007 (20130101); H04L
67/12 (20130101); H01R 43/048 (20130101); G05B
15/02 (20130101); Y02D 30/70 (20200801); Y02B
70/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B23P
19/00 (20060101); H04W 4/00 (20090101); H04L
29/08 (20060101); G05B 15/02 (20060101); H02J
7/00 (20060101); H01R 43/048 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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298 06 179 |
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Oct 1998 |
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DE |
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10 2007 050176 |
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Apr 2009 |
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DE |
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2007 / 067507 |
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Jun 2007 |
|
WO |
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2009 / 059769 |
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May 2009 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Gungor, V. C. , et al, Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks:
Challenges, Design Principles, and Technical Approaches, IEEE
Transactions on Industrial Electronics, pp. 4258-4265, vol. 56, No.
10, Oct. 2009. cited by applicant .
Siekkinen, Matti, et al, How low energy is bluetooth low energy?,
Comparative Measurements with ZigBee/802.15.4, Wireless
Communications and Networking Conference Workshops (WCNCW),
2012/IEEE, Apr. 1, 2012, pp. 232-237. cited by applicant .
European Search Report, dated, Feb. 24, 2016, EP 15 18 7047,
Application No. 15187047.4-1958. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Trinh; Minh
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A termination system comprising: an applicator including a ram
and an anvil, the anvil located in a crimping zone and configured
to receive a terminal thereon, the ram configured to be driven
towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke, the ram
including crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal to
a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil; and a communication
device having a housing that is mounted to the applicator, the
communication device comprising: a storage system within the
housing that stores data relating to the applicator; a wireless
communication system within the housing that wirelessly transmits
the data relating to the applicator to a mobile device via a
communication link, the mobile device being held by an operator and
comprising one or more of a smartphone or a tablet, the mobile
device located remote from the applicator and the communication
device and not mechanically connected to the applicator or the
communication device, the mobile device including a display that
displays at least some of the data relating to the applicator to
the operator, the wireless communication system configured to
establish the communication link with the mobile device by
utilizing advertisement notices transmitted on a dedicated
advertisement channel; and a microcontroller within the housing
that is operatively connected to the storage system and the
wireless communication system, the microcontroller controlling
access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system
and controlling wireless transmission of the data to the mobile
device via the wireless communication system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system
of the communication device is further configured to wirelessly
communicate with a termination machine that drives the ram along
the crimp stroke, the microcontroller controlling the wireless
communication system to transmit at least one of an applicator
identifier, set-up parameters including acceptable terminal types,
wire types, and crimp heights, a crimp stroke count, or a
maintenance schedule to the termination machine.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system
periodically transmits the advertisement notices over the dedicated
advertisement channel, and the communication link is established
with the mobile device when the mobile device scans the dedicated
advertisement channel in search of the advertisement notices and
detects one of the advertisement notices.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system
is configured to establish the communication link with the mobile
device according to a Bluetooth.RTM. low energy protocol.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device further
comprises a sensor that monitors movement of the ram along the
crimp stroke, the microcontroller configured to update a crimp
stroke count of the ram in the storage system based on one or more
signals received from the sensor and control the wireless
communication system to transmit the updated crimp stroke count to
the mobile device.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data relating to the
applicator includes a maintenance schedule for the applicator which
includes a maintenance target, the microcontroller configured to
compare the crimp stroke count to the maintenance target and
control the wireless communication system to transmit an alert to
the mobile device responsive to the crimp stroke count exceeding
the maintenance target.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device further
comprises: a rechargeable battery within the housing that provides
an electrical current to power the communication device; and a
charging system electrically connected to the rechargeable battery
that generates an electrical current to charge the rechargeable
battery based on movement of the applicator.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the ram of the applicator is
movably mounted to a frame, the charging system of the
communication device including one or more magnets mounted to at
least one of the frame or the ram such that movement of the ram
relative to the frame generates an electrical current to charge the
rechargeable battery by electrical induction.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the charging system of the
communication device includes one or more piezoelectric elements
that are configured to generate an electrical current to charge the
rechargeable battery based on at least one of vibration or noise of
the applicator.
10. A termination system comprising: an applicator including a ram
and an anvil, the anvil located in a crimping zone and configured
to receive a terminal thereon, the ram configured to be driven
towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke, the ram
including crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal to
a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil; and a communication
device having a housing that is mounted to the applicator, the
communication device comprising: a storage system within the
housing that stores data relating to the applicator; a wireless
communication system within the housing that wirelessly transmits
the data relating to the applicator to a mobile device held by an
operator comprising one or more of a smartphone or a tablet, the
mobile device located remote from the applicator and the
communication device and not mechanically connected to the
applicator or the communication device, the mobile device including
a display that displays at least some of the data relating to the
applicator to the operator; and a microcontroller within the
housing that is operatively connected to the storage system and the
wireless communication system, the microcontroller controlling
access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system
and controlling wireless transmission of the data to the mobile
device via the wireless communication system, wherein the data
relating to the applicator that is stored in the storage system and
transmitted to the mobile device includes at least one of an
applicator identifier, set-up parameters including acceptable
terminal types, wire types, and crimp heights, a crimp stroke
count, or a maintenance schedule.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein in response to receiving a
command from the mobile device, the microcontroller of the
communication device at least one of modifies one of the set-up
parameters, resets the crimp stroke count, or updates the
maintenance schedule.
12. A termination system comprising: an applicator including a ram
and an anvil, the anvil located in a crimping zone and configured
to receive a terminal thereon, the ram configured to be driven
towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke, the ram
including crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal to
a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil; and a communication
device having a housing that is mounted to the applicator, the
communication device comprising: a storage system within the
housing that stores data relating to the applicator; a wireless
communication system within the housing that wirelessly
communicates the data relating to the applicator with an external
device accessed by an operator; a microcontroller within the
housing that is operatively connected to the storage system and the
wireless communication system, the microcontroller controlling
access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system
and controlling wireless communication of the data relating to the
applicator with the external device via the wireless communication
system; a rechargeable battery within the housing that provides an
electrical current to power the communication device; and a
charging system electrically connected to the rechargeable battery,
the charging system configured to generate an electrical current to
charge the rechargeable battery based on movement of the
applicator.
13. The termination system of claim 12, wherein the ram of the
applicator is movably mounted to a frame of the applicator, the
charging system of the communication device including one or more
magnets mounted to at least one of the frame or the ram such that
movement of the ram relative to the frame generates an electrical
current to charge the rechargeable battery by electrical
induction.
14. The termination system of claim 12, wherein the charging system
of the communication device includes one or more piezoelectric
elements that are configured to generate an electrical current to
charge the rechargeable battery based on at least one of vibration
or noise of the applicator.
15. The termination system of claim 12, wherein the wireless
communication system communicates with the external device by
establishing a communication link according to a protocol that
utilizes a dedicated advertisement channel.
16. The termination system of claim 12, wherein the data relating
to the applicator that is stored in the storage system and
communicated to the external device includes at least one of an
applicator identifier, set-up parameters including acceptable
terminal types, wire types, and crimp heights, a crimp stroke
count, or a maintenance schedule.
17. The termination system of claim 12, wherein, in response to
receiving a command from the external device via the wireless
communication system, the microcontroller one or more of modifies
one of the set-up parameters, resets the crimp stroke count, or
updates the maintenance schedule.
18. The termination system of claim 12, further comprising a sensor
that monitors movement of the ram along the crimp stroke, the
sensor electrically connected to and powered by the rechargeable
battery, the sensor transmitting signals to the microcontroller
based on the movement of the ram, the microcontroller configured to
update the data relating to the applicator that is stored in the
storage system in response to receiving the signals from the
sensor.
19. The termination system of claim 18, wherein the signals from
the sensor represent a number of completed crimp strokes of the ram
and the microcontroller updates a crimp stroke count of the ram
that is stored in the storage system based on the signals received
from the sensor, wherein the microcontroller is configured to
control the wireless communication system to wirelessly communicate
an alert to the external device in response to the crimp stroke
count exceeding a prescribed maintenance target of the ram.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The subject matter herein relates generally to communication
devices that store data relating to an applicator of a termination
system and wirelessly transfer the data to a termination machine
and/or an external device to support set-up, operation, and/or
maintenance of the termination system.
In a termination machine, a wire is terminated with a terminal or
connector. Applicators are mounted on the termination machine to
properly apply the terminal to the wire to form an electrical lead.
Various applicators may be interchangeably used with the
termination machine based on the characteristics and properties of
the specific wire and the specific terminal. Consequently,
applicator changeover may be required to produce different
electrical leads.
In some termination systems, significant operator input is required
to setup each applicator installed onto a termination machine.
Specific settings and adjustments on the termination machine are
required for each individual applicator. Critical data relating to
each specific applicator, such as, terminator adjustment position
for the proper crimp height, is either recorded in a file on the
termination machine, and must be searched for by an operator, or
recorded external to the termination machine, and must be manually
input onto the termination machine by the operator. Either
situation takes significant time for the operator to verify that
the correct information is loaded into the termination machine for
the specific applicator. For example, incorrect data loaded by the
operator or other operator error may lead to tooling crashes or
improperly crimped connectors. During the time the operator spends
inputting and verifying the applicator-specific information, the
production of the electrical leads is postponed, reducing
productivity.
Some termination systems have attempted to reduce the time and
errors during the changeover of applicators by installing smart
tags on applicators. The smart tags store data relating to the
applicator upon which the tag is mounted, such as an identifier of
the type of applicator, serial number of the applicator, required
operating parameters, and/or other information. In some systems,
the smart tag is a bar code or an RFID tag which is scanned by an
external reader device to read the information contained on the
smart tag. Typically the reader device transfers the information to
the termination machine via a wired electrical connection. In known
termination systems that use smart tags, a wired electrical
connection is used to transfer information between the smart tag on
the applicator and the termination machine. The wires may get in
the way in the termination system, where space is tight. In
addition, plugging and unplugging wires may add more time to an
applicator changeover procedure.
In addition, in some known termination systems that use smart tags,
the information transferred to and from the smart tag may be in a
format or protocol that requires specific software to display. The
smart tag may only be able to communicate with devices that have
the specific software, which is typically only the termination
machine. As such, an operator must be at the termination machine to
access and/or update the information contained on the smart
tag.
Furthermore, some smart tags require a power source to operate,
such as a wired connection to an external electrical power source
or an integrated battery. Although an integrated battery may avoid
the issues associated with external wires in the termination
system, the battery may have a define lifetime before the battery
loses charge and the smart tag (or at least the battery) must be
replaced. As the operations and functionality of the smart tags
increase, more power may be demanded from the battery which reduces
the effective battery life, requiring more frequent
replacements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, a termination system is provided that includes an
applicator and a communication device. The applicator includes a
ram and an anvil. The anvil is located in a crimping zone and is
configured to receive a terminal thereon. The ram is configured to
be driven towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke. The
ram includes crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal
to a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil. The communication
device is mounted to the applicator. The communication device
includes a storage system, a wireless communication system, and a
microcontroller. The storage system stores data relating to the
applicator. The wireless communication system wirelessly
communicates the data relating to the applicator with an external
device accessed by an operator. The microcontroller controls at
least one of storage of or access to the data relating to the
applicator in the storage system. The microcontroller also controls
wireless communication of the data relating to the applicator with
the external device via the wireless communication system.
Optionally, the wireless communication system communicates with the
external device by establishing a communication link according to a
protocol that utilizes a dedicated advertisement channel. The
protocol may be a Bluetooth.RTM. low energy protocol. Optionally,
the communication device further includes a sensor that monitors
movement of the ram along the crimp stroke. The microcontroller is
configured to update a crimp stroke count based on one or more
signals received from the sensor. The microcontroller records the
crimp stroke count in the storage system and/or controls the
wireless communication system to communicate the crimp stroke count
to the external device.
In another aspect, a termination system is provided that includes
an applicator and a communication device. The application has a ram
that is movable towards and away from a stationary anvil along a
crimp stroke. The anvil receives a terminal thereon. The ram is
coupled to crimp tooling that is configured to apply the terminal
to a wire along the crimp stroke. The communication device is
mounted to the applicator. The communication device includes a
storage system, a microcontroller, a rechargeable battery, and a
charging system. The storage system stores data relating to the
applicator. The microcontroller controls at least one of storage of
or access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage
system. The rechargeable battery provides an electrical current to
power the communication device. The charging system generates an
electrical current to charge the battery based on movement of the
applicator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a termination system
formed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the termination system shown in
FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according
to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 4 illustrates an external device poised to establish a
communication link with one of three communication devices
according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 5 illustrates an external device after establishing a
communication link with a communication device according to an
exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a charging system of
a communication device.
FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a charging
system of a communication device.
FIG. 8 illustrates a database system for the termination system
shown in FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 9 illustrates an interface for selecting from the database
system illustrated in FIG. 8 according to an exemplary
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Various embodiments of the subject matter described herein will be
better understood when read in conjunction with the appended
drawings. To the extent that the drawings illustrate diagrams of
functional blocks of various components, the functional blocks are
not necessarily indicative of the division between hardware and/or
circuitry. Thus, for example, one or more of the functional blocks
(e.g., processors, controllers, or memories) may be implemented in
a single piece of hardware (for example, a general purpose signal
processor or random access memory, hard disk, or the like) or
multiple pieces of hardware. Similarly, any programs may be
stand-alone programs, may be incorporated as subroutines in an
operating system, may be functions in an installed software
package, and the like. It should be understood that the various
embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality
shown in the drawings.
The systems described herein can include or represent hardware and
associated instructions (e.g., software stored on a tangible and
non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as a computer
hard drive, ROM, RAM, or the like) that perform the operations
described herein. The hardware may include electronic circuits that
include and/or are connected to one or more logic-based devices,
such as microprocessors, processors, controllers, or the like.
These devices may be off-the-shelf devices that perform the
operations described herein from the instructions described above.
Additionally or alternatively, one or more of these devices may be
hard-wired with logic circuits to perform these operations based on
the hard-wired logic. The systems may represent the hardware that
operates based on software or hardwired instructions, the software
that directs hardware to perform the operations, or a combination
thereof.
Described herein are embodiments of a termination system for
terminating a wire to a connector, such as a terminal, to produce
electrical leads. The termination system includes a communication
device that may be used to wirelessly communicate data and other
information about the termination system to external devices to
allow a remote viewer to access and/or manipulate the
information.
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a termination system 100
formed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The termination
system 100 includes an applicator 102, and a communication device
103. The applicator 102 includes a ram 144 and an anvil 118. The
anvil 118 is disposed or located in a defined crimping zone 106,
which is the area where a connector and a wire are individually fed
for each crimping operation to produce an electrical lead. The
anvil 118 is configured to receive the connector, hereafter
referred to as the terminal 110, thereon. The terminal 110 may have
a crimp barrel (not shown) into which an end of a wire 112 is fed.
The ram 144 is movable relative to the anvil 118, which is
stationary (although the position of the anvil 118 may be
adjustable). The ram 144 is configured to be driven towards and
away from the anvil 118 along a crimp stroke. One full crimp stroke
may include both the movement of the ram 144 from an upper
retracted position towards the anvil 118 as well as the movement of
the ram 144 away from the anvil 118 back to the retracted position.
The ram 144 may include crimp tooling 108 along a lower end of the
ram 144. The crimp tooling 108 is configured to crimp the terminal
110 to the wire 112 as the ram 144 moves towards the anvil 118. For
example, the crimp tooling 108 may engage the terminal 110 and
crimp the terminal 110 onto the wire 112 by compressing the
terminal 110 between the crimp tooling 108 and the anvil 118.
As shown in FIG. 1, the termination system 100 may include a feeder
device 104, or feeder 104, that operates to feed the terminals 110
to the applicator 102 and present one terminal 110 to the crimping
zone 106 for each crimping operation. The feeder 104 may be
positioned adjacent to, and optionally coupled to, the applicator
102. The feeder 104 may be used with different applicators 102 by
removing the feeder 104 from the applicator 102 and mounting the
feeder 104 to a different applicator. The terminals 110 may be
guided to the crimp zone 106 by a guide member (not shown) of the
feeder 104 to ensure proper positioning of the terminals 110 within
the crimping zone 106. The feeder 104 may be configured to deliver
terminals 110 of multiple different sizes. The feeder 104 may also
be configured to deliver either side-feed terminals or end-feed
terminals. Side-feed terminals are arranged side-by-side on a
carrier strip and end-feed terminals are arranged successively,
end-to-end. The feeder 104 may be an electrically actuated feeder
(as shown in FIG. 1), a pneumatic feeder, a cam and linkage feeder,
or the like. The wires 112 are delivered to the crimping zone 106
by a wire feeder, wire transfer, swivel mechanism, or the like (not
shown), or alternatively by an operator (for example if the
termination machine 101 is a bench machine). The wires 112 are
delivered in a wire loading direction 114. The wire loading
direction 114 may be transverse to the direction that the terminals
110 are fed to the crimping zone 106.
The termination system 100 may also include a termination machine
101 onto which the applicator 102 may be removably loaded. The
termination machine 101 may include a driving mechanism 116 that
drives the ram 144 (and coupled crimp tooling 108) through the
crimp stroke. The driving mechanism 116 drives the ram 144
initially downward towards the stationary anvil 118 and finally
upward away from the anvil 118. The crimping of the terminal 110 to
the wire 112 occurs during the downward component of the crimp
stroke. In an exemplary embodiment, the driving mechanism 116 is
driven by a crimping machine actuator 120. Optionally, the crimping
machine actuator 120 may be a motor having a drive shaft that moves
the driving mechanism 116. Alternatively, the crimping machine
actuator 120 may be a linear actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, a
pneumatic actuator, and the like. The operation of the crimping
machine actuator 120 is controlled by a controller 122 of the
termination machine 101. The controller 122 may also control the
timing and length of the feed stroke of the feeder 104.
The termination machine 101 is illustrated as a terminal crimping
machine, such as a bench machine or an automatic lead making
machine, used for crimping connectors to wires. Alternatively, the
termination machine 101 may be another type of crimping machine
such as a lead frame machine. However, other types of machines that
attach connectors to wires using processes other than crimping may
be used, such as an insulation displacement connector (IDC)
machine, a welding machine, and the like. The applicator 102 may be
loaded onto the termination machine 101 by coupling the applicator
102 onto a platform 105 of the termination machine 101.
In an exemplary embodiment, the applicator 102 may be removably
coupled to the termination machine 101 to allow for the applicator
102 to be exchanged with other types of applicators depending on
the desired application. For example, the applicator 102 may be
used to produce only a limited number of different electrical
leads. Components of the applicator 102 may be adjusted to
accommodate a limited number of different types, shapes, and sizes
of terminal 110, as well as a limited number of types and sizes
(for example, gauge) of wire 112. For example, the termination
machine 101 may be capable of terminating around fifty different
types of terminals and/or around fifteen different types of wire,
while the applicator 102 accommodates only a predefined sub-set of
the terminals and wire, such as five different types of terminals
and/or four different types of wire. Therefore, for a different run
of terminals and/or wire, the applicator 102 that is currently
installed in the termination machine 101 may need to be substituted
with another applicator that is configured to produce the
accommodate the terminals and wire to produce the desired leads. In
addition, the applicator 102 may be removed from the termination
machine 101 when the applicator 102 (or a component thereof) is
worn and needs to be replaced. The applicator 102 may also be
replaced if another configuration of applicator is desired, such as
an applicator that is designed to accommodate side-feed terminals
or end-feed terminals. A side-feed type applicator 102 is
illustrated in FIG. 1.
Before performing a crimping operation or a series of crimping
operations, the termination system 100 generally must be set up.
For example, the termination machine 101 may drive the ram 144 via
the crimping machine actuator 120 and may control the feed stroke
of the feeder 104. The different applicators 102 that may be
interchanged within the termination machine 101 may have different
set-up parameters. Depending on the terminals 110, the wire 112,
and/or the installed applicator 102, the distance and timing of the
crimp stroke and the feed stroke may vary. Various other crimping
parameters may need to be adjusted as well, such as crimp height.
Therefore, when setting up the termination system 100, the
termination machine 101 must be provided with information necessary
to make the proper adjustments. Once the termination system 100 is
configured, the system 100 may produce a run of electrical leads
without additional adjustments.
In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device 103 is mounted
to the applicator 102. The communication device 103 may be
configured to store data relating to the applicator 102. As used
herein, data may refer to information that is in a digital and/or
machine-readable format. The data relating to the applicator 102
may include an applicator identifier that identifies a name, a
type, and/or a serial number of the applicator 102. The data may
include set-up parameters, such as acceptable terminal types and
sizes, wire types and sizes, and/or crimp heights. The set-up
parameters optionally may include step-by-step set-up instructions
for an operator to follow when manually configuring the termination
system 100. The data may also include a maintenance schedule for
the applicator 102 that suggests when the applicator 102, or
components thereof, should be replaced or repaired to maintain the
integrity of the termination system 100 and the quality of the
produced leads. The data may further include a crimp stroke counter
and/or a feed stroke counter that tracks the number of crimp
strokes and/or feed strokes of the termination system 100 during
use. The counter(s) may be used in conjunction with the maintenance
schedule. For example, the maintenance schedule may identify a
maintenance target of one or more components of the applicator 102
based on the crimp stroke count since the last time the crimp
stroke counter was reset. For example, the maintenance target for
the crimp tooling 108 and/or anvil 118, which both receive
significant wear during crimping operations, may be a set number of
crimp strokes, such as 10,000.
In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device 103 is
configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device 126.
For example, the communication device 103 may be configured to
establish a communication link with the external device 126 in
order to transmit the data relating to the applicator 102 to the
external device 126. The external device 126 optionally may be a
smartphone, tablet, personal computer, laptop computer, or the
like. The external device 126 may be accessed by an operator of the
termination system 100. The operator may use the data relating to
the applicator 102 that is received at the external device 126 to,
for example, set up the termination system 100 and track counts for
maintenance. The communication link established between the
communication device 103 and the external device 126 may be a
bi-directional communication link such that the communication
device 103 may also receive messages sent from the external device
126. The messages sent from the external device 126 may include
adjustments to the set-up parameters or other information stored in
the communication device 103. The messages may also include a
command to reset the crimp stroke and/or feed stroke counters, such
as after a maintenance event has occurred. As described below, the
communication link may be established according to a protocol that
utilizes a dedicated advertisement channel. In an embodiment, the
protocol may constitute a Bluetooth.RTM. low energy protocol.
Optionally, the communication device 103 may be configured to
establish a wireless communication link with the termination
machine 101 directly, such that the data relating to the applicator
102 may be uploaded to the controller 122 of the termination
machine 101. The communication link between the communication
device 103 and the termination machine 101 may be similar to the
communication link established between the communication device 103
and the external device 126. Once the termination machine 101
receives the data, the controller 122 may be configured to display
the information on a display device 128 to allow an operator to
view the applicator-specific information. For example, the display
device 128 may display the set-up parameters for the applicator 102
in a list of step-by-step instructions for the operator to follow
when configuring the termination machine 101. Alternatively, or in
addition, the termination machine 101 may be configured to make
automatic adjustments based on the data received from the
communication device 103 without operator intervention.
The communication device 103 may be mounted to a frame 124 of the
applicator 102. The frame 124 at least partially surrounds the ram
144. The ram 144 moves relative to the frame 124 along the crimp
stroke. Alternatively, the communication device 103 may be mounted
to another part of the applicator 102, such as to the ram 144 or to
a base (not shown). The communication device 103 may be removably
mounted to the applicator 102, such as by a mechanical fastener, an
adhesive, or the like. The communication device 103 includes a
housing 130. In an embodiment, the components of the communication
device 103 are contained within and/or on the housing 130. The
communication device 103 may not be electrically connected to the
termination machine 101 via a wired connection. In addition, the
communication device 103 may not be electrically connected to the
applicator 102 via a wired connection. As such, the communication
device 103 may be a self-contained, self-powered, autonomous device
that communicates with the external device 126 and/or the
termination machine 101 wirelessly only.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the termination system 100
according to an exemplary embodiment. The termination system 100
includes the applicator 102 with the communication device 103
attached thereto. The termination system 100 in an embodiment may
also include the termination machine 101 and the external device
126. The schematic diagram in FIG. 2 may show at least some
components of the operating systems that operate the respective
termination machine 101 and the external device 126. The
termination machine 101 includes the controller 122 which functions
as a main controller that controls operation of the termination
machine 101. The controller 122 may include a microprocessor, or
equivalent control circuitry, designed specifically for setting up
and controlling the crimping operation. The controller 122 may be
any suitable controller that carries out the functions described
herein. The termination machine 101 also includes the crimping
machine actuator 120 which drives the ram 144 (shown in FIG. 1) of
the applicator 102. The termination machine 101 may further include
a feeder controller 132 which controls the feeder device 104. For
example, the feeder controller 132 may control the timing of the
feed stroke, the speed of the guide member (not shown) that propels
the terminals 110 (shown in FIG. 1), the length of the feed stroke,
and/or the locations of both advanced and retracted positions of
the guide member along the feed stroke. The crimp actuator 120 may
be mechanically linked to the applicator 102 by a mechanical
connection 142, shown by a solid line in FIG. 2. The mechanical
connection 142 may be the driving mechanism 116 shown in FIG. 1.
The feeder controller 132 may be mechanically and/or electrically
linked to the feeder 104 via linkage 146.
In an embodiment, the termination machine 101 also includes an
interface 134 and the display device 128. The interface 134 and
display device 128 may be housed at least partially within the
termination machine 101, as shown in FIG. 2. In an alternative
embodiment, the interface 134 and the display 128 may be housed
separately from the termination machine 101, such as on a computer
system used in cooperation with the termination machine 101. The
termination machine 101 may receive data input and commands from an
operator at the interface 134. The interface 134 may be a control
panel having inputs such as push buttons, touch screen inputs,
switches, knobs, and the like. Alternatively, the interface 134 may
be a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, and the like. As mentioned
above, the termination machine 101 may provide information to the
operator via the display device 128. The display device 128 may
include a monitor, video screen, an LED display, and the like. The
display device 128 may include a speaker system (not shown) that
produces audio. For example, the speaker system may be used to
provide audio alerts and/or notifications to the operator prior to
and during a crimping operation. The interface 134 and the display
device 128 may be integrated with one another or may be separate
components.
The termination machine 101 may also include a wireless
communication system 136. The wireless communication system 136 may
be configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation
signals in the radio frequency (RF) range. The wireless
communication system 136 may be configured to communicate with the
communication device 103 by establishing a wireless communication
link 140 (shown by the dashed line 140 in FIG. 2). The wireless
communication link 140 may use any standard wireless protocol, such
as Bluetooth.RTM., Bluetooth.RTM. low energy, wireless USB, Wi-Fi,
and the like.
The main controller 122 is interconnected with the wireless
communication system 136, the feeder controller 132, the interface
134, and the display device 128 via a data/address bus 138 (which
is shown by the dashed line 138 in FIG. 2). The data bus 138 may be
formed of circuitry and/or hard-wired connections. Information in
messages transmitted wirelessly from the communication device 103
may be received by the wireless communication system 136, which may
re-format the information before forwarding the information to the
controller 122. The controller 122 may process the information and
act, such as by controlling the display device 128 to display the
information for viewing by an operator, controlling the feeder
controller 132 to modify a feed stroke of the feeder 104, and/or
controlling the crimping machine actuator 120 to modify a crimp
stroke of the applicator 102. In an alternative embodiment, instead
of communicating directly with the main controller 122, the various
components of the termination machine 101 may communicate
indirectly with the main controller 122 via an interconnect board
(not shown).
The external device 126 may include a controller 148, a display
system 150, a wireless communication system 152, and an interface
154. The external device 126 may further include an internal bus
156 that may interconnect the components above. The internal bus
156 may be an address/data bus that transfers information between
the components. The controller 148 may include a processing unit,
such as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or equivalent control
circuitry, designed to control operations of the external device
126. The controller 148 may also include RAM or ROM memory, logic
and timing circuitry, state machine circuitry, input/output (I/O)
circuitry, and the like. The display system 150 may be provided to
display information of data as described herein. For example, the
display system 150 may be used to present a visual representation
of an output, such as a chart or table showing data relating to the
applicator 102. The display system 150 may include a speaker system
(not shown) that produces audio to provide, for example, audio
alerts and/or notifications to the operator prior to and during a
crimping operation. The interface 154 may be a control panel having
inputs such as push buttons, touch screen inputs, switches, knobs,
and the like. For example, the control panel may be a touchscreen
that accepts a user's touch input when selections are made. The
interface 154 optionally may also include one or more I/O ports,
such as a USB port that is capable of communicating with a USB
device such as a memory stick. The wireless communication system
152 may be configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic
radiation signals in the radio frequency (RF) range. The wireless
communication system 152 may be configured to communicate with the
communication device 103 by establishing a wireless communication
link 158 (shown by the dashed line 158 in FIG. 2). The wireless
communication link 158 may use any standard wireless protocol, such
as Bluetooth.RTM., Bluetooth.RTM. low energy, wireless USB, Wi-Fi,
and the like.
In an embodiment, the external device 126 may be a workstation, a
desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a
programmer, a smartphone, and the like. The external device 126 may
be accessed by an operator of the termination system 100 or another
user. In an embodiment, data relating to the applicator 102 may be
transmitted as a wireless message from the communication device 103
to the external device 126, where the message is received by the
wireless communication system 152. The wireless system 152 may
forward the data that is received to the controller 148 for
appropriate action. Optionally, the controller 148 may control the
display system 150 to display a chart or table that includes
information about the applicator 102 for viewing by the operator or
user of the external device 126. Using the information, the
operator may manipulate the interface 134 of the termination
machine 101 such as to set-up the machine 101 for a crimping
operation. In another situation, the message received by the
external device 126 from the communication device 103 may include
status information about the applicator 102. The status information
may include a crimp stroke count, which is a number of crimp
strokes of the ram 144 (shown in FIG. 1) recorded by a crimp stroke
counter since the last time the crimp stroke counter was reset. The
status information may also include a maintenance schedule. The
maintenance schedule may identify a time or a number of crimp
strokes since one or more tooling components of the applicator 102
were replaced. The schedule may also identify a time or number of
crimp strokes until one or more such tooling components should be
replaced according to the maintenance schedule to avoid damage or
reduced lead quality caused by wear. Other uses and functions of
the external device 126 are described further below.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the communication device 103
according to an exemplary embodiment. The communication device 103
may be mounted to the applicator 102 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The
communication device 103 may include a microcontroller 202, a
storage system 204, a wireless communication system 206, a battery
208, a charging system 210, and a sensor 212. The various
components of the communication device 103 may be implemented in
hardware, software, of a combination thereof. The hardware may
include electronic circuits that include and/or are connected to
one or more logic-based devices, such as microprocessors,
processors, controllers, or the like. The communication device 103
may further include an internal data bus 201 that may electrically
interconnect the components above. The internal bus 201 may be an
address/data bus that transfers information between the components,
as indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 3.
The storage system 204 may include one or more physical devices
configured to store data relating to the applicator (for example,
identification information and set-up parameters) and/or
instructions executable by the microcontroller 202 to implement one
or more operations described herein. The storage system 204 may
include, for example, removable media and/or integrated/built-in
devices. The storage system 204 may have non-volatile, read/write
operating characteristics. Optionally, or alternatively, the
storage system 204 may have characteristics of volatile, dynamic,
static, read-only, random access, sequential access, location
addressable, filed addressable, and/or content addressable. The
storage system 204 may also include other devices, such as optical
memory devices, semiconductor memory devices (for example, RAM,
EEPROM, flash, etc.) and/or magnetic memory devices, among
others.
In an exemplary embodiment, the storage system 204 is configured to
store data relating to the applicator 102 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).
The data may include an applicator identifier, set-up parameters, a
crimp stroke count, a maintenance schedule, and the like. The
applicator identifier may be information that identifies the
applicator 102, such as applicator name, type, serial number, and
the like. The set-up parameters may include information that is
useful in setting up the termination machine 101 to operate using
the applicator 102. The set-up parameters may include various
information, such as acceptable terminal types, shapes, and sizes,
acceptable wire types and sizes, and/or specified crimp heights.
Since applicators may be designed to accommodate only a limited
number of different terminals and wires, the set-up parameters are
specific to the applicator 102. The set-up parameters allow an
operator to verify that the applicator 102 is a correct applicator
to produce the desired leads. The parameters also allow an operator
to manually adjust the termination machine 101 to accurately
receive the applicator 102 and accurately operate with the
applicator 102. The crimp stroke count, as described above, may
represent a number of crimp strokes of the ram 144 (shown in FIG.
1). The crimp stroke count stored within the storage system 204 may
be updated periodically, such as during each crimp stroke.
The maintenance schedule may include information that suggests when
one or more tooling components of the applicator 102 should be
replaced or repaired. For example, the crimp tooling 108 (shown in
FIG. 1) may have a suggested lifetime of 10,000 crimping operations
before the wear of the crimp tooling 108 may negatively affect the
crimp quality of the produced leads, such as by not producing a
tight connection between the terminal 110 and the wire 112 (both
shown in FIG. 1) that meets crimp specifications. The maintenance
schedule may include a maintenance target for the crimp tooling
108, as well as other components of the applicator 102, such as the
anvil 118 (FIG. 1), ram 144 (FIG. 1), or even the applicator 102 as
a whole. The maintenance target may be a number of crimp strokes or
a time when the corresponding component should undergo maintenance,
such as by replacing the component or servicing the component. For
example, upon replacing crimp tooling 108, the maintenance target
may be set to 10,000 crimp strokes. Optionally, the crimp stroke
count may be reset when the crimp tooling 108 is replaced or the
current count at the time of replacement may be marked to determine
when the maintenance target is approaching and is reached. The
maintenance schedule and maintenance targets for the various
components may differ for the different components. For example,
the crimp tooling 108 and the anvil 118 may have shorter
maintenance targets, requiring maintenance more often, than the ram
144, because the crimp tooling 108 and the anvil 118 physically
engage the terminals 110 during the crimping operations, and thus
are exposed to more wear than the ram 144.
The microcontroller 202 may control storage of and/or access to the
data related to the applicator 102 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) in the
storage system 204. For example, the microcontroller 202 may
include a microprocessor, or equivalent control circuitry, designed
for controlling storage and retrieval of data from the storage
system 204. The microcontroller 202 may further include an internal
memory, such as RAM or ROM memory, logic and timing circuitry,
state machine circuitry, and I/O circuitry. The microcontroller 202
may be capable of receiving, processing and/or managing input
signals (for example, data relating to the applicator 102 and
commands from the external device 126) as controlled by program
code stored in the internal memory and/or the storage system 204.
In an embodiment, the microcontroller 202 may be a low power
microcontroller unit. The details of the design and operation of
the microcontroller 202 are not critical to the inventive subject
matter. Any suitable microcontroller 202 may be used that carries
out the functions described herein.
The wireless communication system 206 may be configured to
wirelessly communicate data relating to the applicator (shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2) with a communicatively linked device, such as the
external device 126 and the termination machine 101. For example,
the wireless communication system 206 may transmit an applicator
identifier, set-up parameters including acceptable terminal types,
wire types, and crimp heights, a crimp stroke count, a maintenance
schedule, and the like. The wireless communication system 206 may
be a transmitter-receiver that uses separate circuitry for the
transmitting and receiving functions, or, alternatively, a
transceiver that uses common circuitry and/or a single housing. The
wireless communication system 206 may be configured to transmit and
receive electromagnetic radiation signals in the radio frequency
(RF) range. The wireless communication system 206 may be configured
to communicate with the external device 126 and the termination
machine 101 by establishing wireless communication links. The
wireless communication links may use any standard wireless
protocol, such as Bluetooth.RTM., Bluetooth.RTM. low energy,
wireless USB, Wi-Fi, and the like. In an embodiment, the wireless
communication system 206 may establish a communication link
according to a protocol that utilizes a dedicated advertisement
channel, as described below with reference to FIG. 4. Protocol
firmware may be stored in the storage system 204 and/or in an
internal memory of the microcontroller 202. The protocol firmware
provides the wireless protocol syntax for the microcontroller 202
to assembly data packets, establish communication links, and
partition data received from the external device 126 and/or the
termination machine 101.
The established communication link may be bi-directional, such that
the communication device 103 may transmit data relating to the
applicator 102 to the external device 126 and/or the termination
machine 101, and the communication device 103 may also receive
messages from the linked devices. For example, the communication
device 103 may receive a command from the external device 126 to
reset a crimp stroke count, modify at least one of the set-up
parameters, update the maintenance schedule, and the like. In
response to receiving such a command, the microcontroller 202 may
perform the requested operations. For example, the microcontroller
202 may modify the requested set-up parameters by recording the new
parameters in the storage system 204, reset the crimp stroke count,
or update the maintenance schedule stored in the storage system
204. The microcontroller 202 may also controls the information
transmitted to the external device 126 and/or termination machine
101 by the wireless communication system 206.
The battery 208 provides an electrical current to power the
communication device 103. The battery 208 may be a lithium-ion
battery or the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the battery 208 is
rechargeable. The charging system 210 of the communication device
103 is configured to generate an electrical current to charge the
battery 208. The charging system 210 may generate the electrical
current to charge the battery 208 based on movement of the
applicator 102 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Without the charging
system 210, the charge life of the battery 208 may be less than one
full year, at which time the communication device 103 requires
maintenance to add a new battery. However, the charging system 210
provides energy to re-charge the battery 208 that is harvested from
the applicator 102, which extends the battery life indefinitely,
and reduces any productivity loss or information loss due to the
device 103 running out of power. In an embodiment, the charging
system 210 may generate an electrical current based on movement of
one or more moving components of the applicator 102 by electrical
induction. For example, as shown and described further with
reference to FIG. 6, one or more magnets may be mounted to the
frame 124 (shown in FIG. 1) or the ram 144 (FIG. 1) such that
movement of the ram 144 relative to the frame 124 alters the
magnetic field around the magnets and generates an electrical
current in a proximate coiled wire by electrical induction. In
another embodiment, the charging system 210 may generate an
electrical current based on vibration or sound caused by movement
of the applicator 102. For example, as shown and described further
with reference to FIG. 7, the charging system 210 may include one
or more piezoelectric elements that are configured to generate an
electrical current to charge the battery 208 based on vibration or
noise of the applicator 102. Optionally, the piezoelectric
element(s) may be positioned to contact the ram 144 or another
moving component of the applicator 102, and the force or pressure
applied to the piezoelectric element(s) may be used to generate the
electrical current to charge the battery 208.
The sensor 212 may be configured to monitor movement of the
applicator 102 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). For example, the sensor
212 may monitor movement of the ram 144 (shown in FIG. 1) along the
crimp stroke. The sensor 212 may be an optical sensor, an
ultrasound sensor, a magnetic sensor, or the like. For example, the
sensor 212 may be a magnetic sensor with a mechanically operated
reed switch. The ram 144 may have one or more magnets installed
thereon, and as the one or more magnets move past the sensor 212,
the magnet(s) may magnetically pull the reed switch open or shut,
depending on the direction of movement of the ram 144. Actuating
the reed switch, or triggering the sensor 212 optically or
ultrasonically in other embodiments, may cause the sensor 212 to
send a signal to the microcontroller 202. The microcontroller 202
may interpret the received signal from the sensor 212 and update
the crimp stroke count based on the signal. For example, the
microcontroller 202 may enhance the crimp stroke count by one
integer or value in response to receiving each signal from the
sensor 212. The microcontroller 202 may record the updated crimp
stroke count in the storage system 204, such as by writing over the
previously recorded crimp stroke count. This function or subsystem
of the microcontroller 202 may be referred to as a crimp stroke
counter. In addition, the microcontroller 202 optionally may
transmit the updated crimp stroke count to the external device 126
and/or the termination machine 101 via the wireless communication
system 206. In an embodiment, the microcontroller 202 may be
configured to compare the crimp stroke count to one or more
maintenance targets in the maintenance schedule to determine
whether the crimp stroke count exceeds the one or more maintenance
targets. For example, the crimp tooling 108 (shown in FIG. 1) may
have a maintenance target of 10,000 crimp strokes, and the
microcontroller 202 may compare the current crimp stroke count to
the maintenance target of the crimp tooling 108 and/or other
maintenance targets of other components of the applicator 102. For
example, if the crimp stroke count is 900, the microcontroller 202
calculates that the maintenance target for the crimp tooling 108 is
approaching in 100 more crimp strokes. The microcontroller 202, in
an embodiment, may control the wireless communication system 206 to
communicate an alert to the external device 126 and/or the
termination machine 101 when the crimp stroke count exceeds or is
at least proximate to a maintenance target. The alert may be
visual, audial, or both. Therefore, the operator may be notified
that maintenance is required or is soon-to-be required.
FIG. 4 illustrates the external device 126 poised to establish a
communication link with one of three communication devices 103A,
103B, 103C. The three communication devices 103A, 103B, 103C are
mounted on applicators 102A, 102B, 102C, respectively. The
applicators 102A-C may be different types of applicators that are
designed to accommodate different terminals (shown in FIG. 1) and
wires 112 (FIG. 1). The communication devices 103A-C may include
data relating to the specific applicator 102A-C on which each
device 103A-C is mounted. An operator using the external device 126
may desire to establish a communication link with a specific one of
the applicators 102A-C, or, alternatively, each of the applicators
102A-C one at a time to check on the status of each applicator for
maintenance purposes, for example.
In order to establish a communication link, such as the
communication link 158 between one of the communication devices
103A-C and the external device 126, the microcontroller 202 (shown
in FIG. 3) of each communication device 103A-C instructs the
wireless communication system 206 (shown in FIG. 3) to transmit an
advertisement notice 220A-C, respectively, on an advertisement
channel. The advertisement notices 220A-C may be different for each
communication device 103A-C. The advertisement channel may be a
point to multipoint, unidirectional, channel. The advertisement
channel may carry a repeating pattern of system information
messages. The system information messages may describe the
identity, configuration, and/or other features of the respective
applicator 102A-C. The advertisement channel may represent a
predetermined bandwidth within an operating frequency range of the
protocol. In an embodiment, the wireless communication system 206
periodically transmits the advertisement notices 220 over the
advertisement channel according to the protocol, and the
communication link is established with the external device 126 when
the external device 126 scans the advertisement channel in search
of the advertisement notices 220, detects one of the advertisement
notices 220, and responds according to the advertisement notice
220.
In an embodiment, the external device 126 and the communication
devices 103A-C may utilize the Bluetooth.RTM. low energy (BLE)
protocol. The BLE protocol operates within a frequency range of
2400-2483.5 MHz (including guard bands). The operational frequency
range is divided into 40 RF channels having a 2 MHz bandwidth.
Three RF channels are dedicated advertisement channels having
center frequencies at 2402 MHz, 2426 MHz, and 2480 MHz. The
remaining RF channels are dedicated data channels. Data channels
are utilized by devices having an established BLE communication
link to exchange data. For example, when the external device 126
has an established communication link with the communication device
103A, data may be exchanged between the external device 126 and the
communication device 103A over one of the data channels. Another
communication device 103, such as devices 103B or 103C, without an
established communication link, may broadcast connection/address
information along the advertisement channel, for instance at 2404
MHz. In other embodiments, the external device 126 and the
communication devices 103A-C may establish a communication link
according to a different protocol.
The communication devices 103A-C, prior to establishing a
communication link, may each transmit one or more advertisement
notices 220A-C over the dedicated advertisement channels during an
interval. The advertisement notice 220 may be a data packet or a
pulse configured to elicit a response from another device to
establish a communication link. The advertisement notice 220 may
contain frequency synchronization information utilized to form the
communication link, address information of the communication device
103, address information of the external device 126, and/or the
like. The advertisement notice may be repeated over a set or
variable interval, until the communication link is established.
The external device 126 may be prompted by the operator or other
user to search for communication devices 103A-C with which to
establish a communication link. In response, the external device
126 scans the advertisement channel(s) during select intervals in
search of one or more advertisement notices 220A-C. The external
device 126 may monitor or scan the advertisement channel(s) for the
advertisement notices 220A-C using the wireless communication
system 152 (shown in FIG. 2). When the external device 126 receives
or detects an advertisement notice 220, the notice 220 may be
compared or analyzed to verify the validity of the advertisement
notice 220 using the wireless protocol of the external device 126.
The advertisement notice 220 may contain specifications for the
frequency and/or timing for a data channel to exchange data with
the external device 126. Upon verifying the advertisement notice
220, the external device 126 may transmit an acknowledgement on the
data channel specified in the advertisement notice 220, or
optionally may send specifications for a new data channel over
which to communicate. Once the external device 126 and the
communication device 103 determine a data channel over which to
communicate, the communication link is established.
As shown in FIG. 4, each of the three communication devices 103A-C
may periodically send respective advertisement notices 220A-C. The
external device 126 includes a display 222 onto which a graphical
user interface 224 may be displayed. The graphical user interface
224 indicates the presence of an "Applicator Search" 226. As such,
the external device 126 may be currently or recently scanning the
advertisement channels in search of one or more detected
advertisement notices 220. Three applicators have been detected,
according to the graphical user interface 224, and the applicators
are identified by serial numbers "SN 689860" 228, "SN 545373" 230,
and "SN 755234" 232. For illustrative purposes only, the applicator
102A may have serial number "689860", the applicator 102B may have
serial number "545373", and the applicator 102C may have serial
number "755234". The vertical bars 234 disposed to the right of the
serial numbers in the display 222 may indicate the detected
communication signal strength. As shown, the applicator 102A, with
serial number 689860, has the strongest signal strength because
more bars 234 are associated with the 689860 applicator than the
other two applicators. The graphical user interface 224 also
includes a prompt for the user to "Choose Device" 236, meaning to
select one of the applicators indicated on the display 222 to
connect with. The graphical user interface 224 may allow a user to
select one of the applicators, such as by providing a touch input
on one of the applicator indicators 228, 230, or 232, and a
"Connect" button 238 may allow the user to prompt the external
device 126 to proceed with establishing a communication link with
the selected applicator.
Since the communication devices 103A-C are able to communicate
wirelessly with external devices, a single external device 126
accessed by an operator may be capable of quickly and efficiently
establishing communication links with each communication device
103A-C without having to first couple each applicator 102A-C to a
termination machine.
FIG. 5 illustrates the external device 126 after establishing a
communication link 158 with the communication device 103 on an
applicator 102. The graphical user interface 224 on the display 222
of the external device 126 indicates that the applicator 102 is
identified as "Applicator SN 545373" 240. As such, the external
device 126 may have established the communication link 158 with the
applicator 102B shown in FIG. 4, which was designated as the
applicator with "SN 545373" 230.
Once the communication link 158 is established data may be
transferred bi-directionally between the external device 126 and
the communication device 103. For example, the communication device
103 may use the communication link 158 to transmit data relating to
the applicator 102, such as identification information, set-up
parameters, crimp stroke counts, maintenance statuses and
schedules, and the like. In an embodiment, the external device 126
may be configured to connect to the Internet 242, such as through a
wired or wireless network 244. In other embodiments, the external
device 126 may be connected to a closed circuit local network
instead of the Internet. The network 244 may be a Wi-Fi network, a
wireless local area network (WLAN), or the like. Since the external
device 126 is connected via the network 244 to the Internet 242,
the external device 126 may configured to upload the data relating
to the applicator 102 that is received from the communication
device 103 to one or more websites. For example, as shown in FIG.
5, the graphical user interface 224 may provide options for the
operator to connect with a "Customer Web Site" 246 or various
manufacturer websites, such as a "Sales Web Site" 247, a "Field
Engineering Web Site" 248, or an "Application Tooling Web Site"
249. Information relating to the applicator 102 may be sent to one
or more websites in order to track use of the applicator 102,
report applicator status to the manufacturer (such as for
maintenance purposes), store information online for easier
accessibility, and the like. As shown in FIG. 5, the "Application
Tooling Web Site" 249 indicator is selected. Upon confirming the
selection by selecting the "Connect" button 238, at least some
information received from the communication device 103 may be
forwarded to the website for Application Tooling. Therefore, the
information received from the communication device 103 is not
limited to being accessed only by an operator or user that is
present with the external device 126.
Although FIGS. 4 and 5 show and describe the communication link 158
between the external device 126 and the communication device 103,
it is recognized that the communication device 103 may establish a
similar communication link with the termination machine 101 (shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2).
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the charging system
210 of the communication device 103. The charging system 210
includes one or more magnets 302 mounted on the ram 144 of the
applicator 102 (shown in FIG. 1). The charging system 210 further
includes a coil of wire 304 wrapped around a metal bar 306. The
coil of wire 304 may be at least partially within the communication
device 103, which is shown in phantom in FIG. 6. The frame 124
(shown in FIG. 1) of the applicator 102, onto which the
communication device 103 may be mounted, is not shown in FIG. 6 for
illustrative purposes. According to an exemplary embodiment, as the
ram 144 moves relative to the communication device 103, the magnets
302 move relative to the coil 304. The moving magnets 302 may alter
the magnetic field around the coil 304, which induces an electrical
current in the coil of wire 304 by electrical induction. The coil
of wire 304 may be electrically connected to the battery 208 (shown
in FIG. 3), such that the induced current charges the battery 208.
Therefore, the communication device 103 is configured to generate
electrical current based on the movement of the applicator 102, and
a wired electrical connection to a power supply source is not
necessary.
FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the charging
system 210 of the communication device 103, which is shown in
phantom. The charging system 210 includes one or more piezoelectric
elements 310. The piezoelectric elements 310 may be located along
an interface surface 312 of the housing 130 of the communication
device 103. The interface surface 312 is a surface that contacts
the applicator 102 (shown in FIG. 1). Each piezoelectric element
310 includes a metal diaphragm 314 on which a ceramic or crystal
layer 316 is mounted. The crystal or ceramic layer 316 may be
composed of quartz, for example. As the applicator 102 operates,
the applicator 102 may vibrate and/or produce a sound. The
vibration and/or noise produced may cause the metal diaphragm 314
to vibrate, and the vibrating diaphragm 314 causes the ceramic or
crystal layer 316 to vibrate similarly. Upon vibrating, the ceramic
or crystal layer 316 generates an alternating current, which may be
picked up by electrodes 318 on the piezoelectric elements 310 and
conveyed to the battery 208 (shown in FIG. 3) to charge the battery
208. In another embodiment, the piezoelectric elements 310 may be
disposed in the path of the ram 144 along the crimp stroke or
another moving component of the applicator 102. As the ram 144 or
the other moving component strikes the piezoelectric elements 310,
the mechanical stress on the ceramic or crystal layer 316 generates
the electrical current that is used to charge the battery 208.
FIG. 8 illustrates an example database system 250 for the
termination system 100 (shown in FIG. 1). The database system 250
may be stored within the storage system 204 (shown in FIG. 3) of
the communication device 103 (FIG. 3). The database system 250
includes a plurality of sections, each having multiple fields. The
sections and fields illustrated in FIG. 8 are exemplary and other
data fields may be included in alternative embodiments. Although
not shown in FIG. 8, the data fields of the database system 250 in
an exemplary embodiment may be populated using the data relating to
the applicator 102 (shown in FIG. 1) that is stored in the storage
system 204. For example, the data relating to the applicator 102
stored in the storage system 204 of the communication device 103
may include at least the information used to populate the database
system 250, if not the database system 250 as well. In an
alternative embodiment, the database system 250 may be disposed on
the external device 126 (shown in FIG. 1) and/or the termination
machine 101 (FIG. 1), and upon establishing a wireless
communication link with the communication device 103, the data
received from the communication device 103 is used to populate the
data fields within the database system 250. The populated database
system 250 on the external device 126 and/or termination machine
101 may then be used by the operator during set-up, crimping
operations, and/or feeding operations. Alternatively, the
termination machine 101 may be configured to automatically adjust
parameters based on the populated database system 250.
The database system 250 includes a general field section 252, a
wire crimp height record section 254, a terminal data record
section 256, a map table data record section 258, a run table
record section 260, an applicator maintenance section 262 and a
tool maintenance record section 264. Each of the sections may be
presented to an operator through a display, such as the display
device 128 (shown in FIG. 2) of the termination machine 101 (FIG.
2) or the display system 150 (FIG. 2) of the external device 126
(FIG. 2). The fields may be populated upon receiving the data from
the communication device 103 (FIG. 2) with numbers, letters,
mathematical functions, operators, and the like.
The general field section 252 includes a plurality of fields that
are specific to the applicator 102 (shown in FIG. 1). As such,
different applicators may have different data contained within the
fields of the general field section 252. For example, the Security
Head Data field restricts access to the termination machine 101.
The Device Data Format ID field includes information relating to
the version number of the communication device 103 (shown in FIG.
1) mounted to the applicator 102. The Applicator Part Number, Name,
and Serial Number fields include data unique to the applicator 102.
For example, the applicator type relates to the type of applicator,
such as side-feed or end-feed. The Full Cycle or Split Cycle field
and the Split Cycle Position field are specific fields that relate
to the type of terminal being used, such as an open or closed type
of terminal. The Minimum and Maximum Strip Length of Wire fields
include information relating to an amount of wire exposed when
insulation is removed. The Length of Terminal field is a
preprogrammed, default value based on the terminal. The Feed Finger
ID field is used to identify the feed finger required for the
particular applicator 102 and terminal being used for the run. The
Anvil Height, Crimper Length, Tooling Clear Position, and Tooling
Crash Limit fields include data relating to the crimping process,
such as the relative positions of the anvil 118 and crimp tooling
108 (both shown in FIG. 1). The Vertical Height Data field is
initially preprogrammed but may be adjusted by the operator over
time using the external device 126 (shown in FIG. 1), for example.
The General Note Section field may be populated with notes by the
operator. The data to populate these fields may be preprogrammed in
the communication device 103 and based on the terminals configured
to be run by the applicator 102.
The wire crimp height record section 254 includes a Wire Size
field, a Target Crimp Height field, a + Tolerance field, and a -
Tolerance field. In an embodiment, the operator may select the
terminal from a drop down menu from the list of possible terminals,
the wire size from a drop down menu from a list of possible wire
sizes, and the target crimp height and tolerances may be
automatically populated based on default settings relating to the
selected terminal. The operator may make selections using the
termination machine 101 (shown in FIG. 1) and/or the external
device 126 (FIG. 1). The operator may also select a different
target crimp height and tolerance field than the default setting.
In an embodiment, the operator may modify the default settings
using the termination machine 101 and/or the external device
126.
The terminal data record section 256 includes a Part Number field
identifying the terminals from a list of preprogrammed possible
terminals that the applicator 102 (shown in FIG. 1) accommodates.
The database may be updated with new terminals as new terminals are
designed to be run in the applicator 102. A Crimp Height Table Ref.
Index field is provided to identify the correct crimp height table
that relates to the terminal. A Feed Finger Extend Position field
and a Product Feed Pitch field are provided to identify an advanced
position of the feed guide of the feeder 104 (shown in FIG. 1) and
a retracted position, respectively, based on the type of terminal.
A Feed Finger Speed field and a Terminator Crimp Speed field are
provided and include information relating to a feed speed and a
crimp speed, respectively. The feeder 104 may feed the terminals
along a different motion profile (e.g. speed, rate, direction) than
the termination machine 101 (shown in FIG. 1) drives the applicator
102.
The map table data record section 258 includes an Alternative
Terminal Name field which allows the operator to input data
relating to an alternative terminal name, such as a customer name
used by the operator or a customer to identify the terminal.
The run table record section 260 includes a Terminal Index field
which includes data that identifies the terminal for the particular
run. A Wire Description field is provided which includes data that
identifies the wire size for the particular run. A Crimp Height
field is provided which includes data that identifies the target
crimp height for the particular run. A Crimp Adjust field
identifies a crimp adjust distance that the termination machine 101
(shown in FIG. 1) may use to achieve the target crimp height. The
run table record section 260 may be automatically populated for
each particular run and stored in the communication device 103
(shown in FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the communication device 103
stores adjustments made during the set-up operation by the
operator.
The applicator maintenance section 262 includes an Applicator
Maintenance Interval field and an Applicator Reset Count field. The
Maintenance Interval field includes data relating to an interval
between maintenance, and may be based upon time, use, or some other
characteristic. The Maintenance Interval may be populated with a
default interval or may be changed by operator input. The Reset
Count field includes data relating to the interval, such as the
amount of the interval that has been used. A Stop on Error field is
also included, which indicates whether the termination machine 101
(shown in FIG. 1) will shut down automatically at the end of an
interval. An Applicator Cycle Count field, also referred to herein
as a crimp stoke count, includes data relating to a total number of
crimp stroke cycles for the applicator 102 (shown in FIG. 1). The
cycles may be counted as a total number of cycles, or as a number
of cycles from a predetermined start time, such as the beginning of
a run, the last reset, the last maintenance, and the like. An
Applicator Mfg. Date field includes data relating to the date of
manufacture of the applicator 102. An Applicator Service Date field
includes data relating to the date of last service. An Account
Number field and an Account Data field may identify the account and
information relating to the account, such as a particular company
division, a particular customer, and the like.
The tool maintenance record section 264 includes information
relating to tool maintenance. The tools of the applicator 102
(shown in FIG. 1) may include components such as the ram 144 (FIG.
1), the crimp tooling 108 (FIG. 1), the anvil 118 (FIG. 1), and the
like. The tool may also relate to particular maintenance tasks,
such as cleaning the applicator 102, lubricating the applicator
102, and the like. A Tool Name field and a Tool Part Number field
identify the name and part numbers of the tool, respectively. A
Tool Interval field includes data relating to the interval period
until the next maintenance is desired. The interval may be based on
a time, such as in minutes, hours or days, or may be based on a
number of cycles or crimp strokes. The interval may be populated
with a default interval or may be changed by operator input. A Tool
Reset Count field includes data relating to the interval, such as
the amount of the interval that has been used. A Tool Service Date
field may be provided including data relating to the date of last
service.
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary interface 270 for selecting from
the database system 250 illustrated in FIG. 8. The interface 270
may include an interface component and display component, such as
the interface 154 and display 150 of the external device 126
illustrated in FIG. 2. As such, the operator may view multiple
menus and select appropriate values to populate the database system
250. The interface 270 communicates with the communication device
103 (shown in FIG. 2) which stores the database system 250 or at
least data used to populate the database system 250. Alternatively,
or in addition, the interface 270 may be disposed on the
termination machine 101 (shown in FIG. 2) instead of the external
device 126.
In operation, the operator selects certain parameters, which are
communicated to the termination machine 101 (shown in FIG. 1) to
operate the applicator 102 (FIG. 1) and other components of the
termination system 100 (FIG. 1). For example, because the
termination machine 101 operates differently depending on a
terminal type and a wire size, these parameters should be selected
from the interface 270 during set-up of the termination machine
101. In an exemplary embodiment, the operator selects the
parameters from a list of parameters in drop down menus. In the
illustrated embodiment, the interface 270 includes a terminal part
number menu 272, a wire selection menu 274, a target crimp height
menu 276, and a tolerance menu 278. The operator selects a terminal
type from the terminal part number menu 272. The operator selects a
wire type from the wire selection menu 274. The operator selects a
target crimp height from the target crimp height menu 276. The
operator selects a tolerance from the tolerance menu 278. The menus
and selections within the menus are exemplary and other menus and
selections may be included in alternative embodiments of the
interface 270. In an embodiment, the selected parameters may be
stored in the communication device 103.
The communication device 103 (shown in FIG. 1) is shown and
described herein as being mounted to the applicator 102 (FIG. 1).
However, in an alternative embodiment, the communication device
103, or an additional communication device (not shown), may be
mounted to another component of the termination system 100 (FIG.
1), such as to the feeder 104. For example, a communication device
on the feeder 104 may be configured to record feed strokes, store
data relating to the feeder 104, and provide such data to the
termination machine 101 (FIG. 1) and/or the external device 126
(FIG. 1) by establishing a wireless communication link.
At least one technical effect of various embodiments of a
termination system described herein includes a communication device
that stores data relating to an operation of the termination
system, where the communication device is not coupled to an
applicator or another component of the termination system by a
wired connection. As a result, the component on which the
communication device is mounted may be easily coupled to and
removed from a termination machine, such as when interchanging
applicators, without additional external wires to connect and
disconnect. Furthermore, the communication device does not have
external wires that might interfere with operation of the
termination system, such as by blocking a view of a crimping
area.
At least one technical effect of various embodiments of a
termination system described herein includes a communication device
that includes a wireless communication system that is configured to
establish a wireless communication link with a linked device in
order to transfer data over the communication link. The wireless
communication system may be able to communicate according to
prevalent, standardized communication protocols, including
Bluetooth.RTM., which increases the compatibility of the
communication device, allowing the communication device to
establish communication links with various different external
devices as well as the termination machine of the termination
system. At least one technical effect is that an operator may be
able to receive information about one or more applicators remotely,
such as to check a status of each applicator and determine when
maintenance will be required.
At least one technical effect of various embodiments of a
termination system described herein includes a communication device
that includes a charging system that generates an electric current
to charge a battery of the communication device based on movement
of the applicator, so an external power source and wired connection
thereto is not necessary to power the communication device. As a
technical effect, the life of the communication device before
maintenance is not limited to a charge life of the battery.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and
proceeded with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not
excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion
is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment"
are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of
additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments
"comprising" or "having" an element or a plurality of elements
having a particular property may include additional such elements
not having that property.
As used herein, the term "system," "computer," and "controller,"
may each include any processor-based or microprocessor-based system
including systems using microcontrollers, reduced instruction set
computers (RISC), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),
logic circuits, GPUs, FPGAs, and any other circuit or processor
capable of executing the functions described herein. The above
examples are exemplary only, and are thus not intended to limit in
any way the definition and/or meaning of the terms "system,"
"computer," or "controller."
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be
illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described
embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination
with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
various embodiments without departing from their scope. Dimensions,
types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the
number and positions of the various components described herein are
intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no
means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other
embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the
claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing
the above description. The scope of the various embodiments should,
therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims,
along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are
entitled. In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in
which" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective
terms "comprising" and "wherein." Moreover, in the following
claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used
merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical
requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the
following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and
are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112,
paragraph (1), unless and until such claim limitations expressly
use the phrase "means for" followed by a statement of function void
of further structure.
This written description uses examples to disclose the various
embodiments, and also to enable a person having ordinary skill in
the art to practice the various embodiments, including making and
using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated
methods. The patentable scope of the various embodiments is defined
by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those
skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within
the scope of the claims if the examples have structural elements
that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or the
examples include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial
differences from the literal languages of the claims.
* * * * *